


but it's cold outside

by Amber_Flicker



Series: The Mistletoe [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Christmas Party, Crack, Fluff, Len and Mick are the Rogues' parents, Lisa plays 'get everyone drunk and then matchmaking time', M/M, Mistletoe, Snowball Fight, Snowed In, blink-and-you'll-miss-it killergold, hints of coldwestallen, no angst to be seen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 08:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8971093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amber_Flicker/pseuds/Amber_Flicker
Summary: Christmas party 2.0, this time with extra Rogues.-Sequel to 'Um, we're under the mistletoe...' Which doesn't have to be read first, but things will make more sense if you do.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Set in some vague s2/3ish time?? Idk? I also wanted to have Wally there, but I was already balancing so many characters. So: Wally went to visit Jesse (and Harry probably came to see Joe- okay enough shipping now). Joe isn't there because, well, do you think he'd want to go to that party? He and the rest of the family will have their own celebration on the holiday, don't worry.

"For the record, I still don't think this is a good idea."

"Lighten up, Cait. It's the holiday season."

Caitlin look over at Cisco, up near the front of the group- that was, Caitlin, Cisco, Barry, Iris and- Hartley beside him. "And that has stopped bad things from happening before? I don't think so. A certain meta who is going to be at this party tried to kill Barry on Christmas, remember?"

Hartley rolled his eyes. "He's under control now. He just needed a family."

"You're biased." Cisco said. 

"Maybe. But he agreed not to start a fight, and he knows what the consequences are."

"If anyone's gonna start a fight, it's you." He mumbled. It didn't get past his boyfriend.

"Why did you let him convince us all if you didn't think we should?" Iris asked.

"I ask myself the same question." Caitlin said. "But we know why. It's because Hartley used his control over Cisco to make this sound like a good idea." There was teasing lilt to her voice. She wasn't actually upset about it, but of course she was wary.

"Caaaiiiit, Hartley wanted all of his friends-slash-family to get together-"

"-And so did I-" Barry said, looking back at all of them.

"-and so did Barry, And you didn't want to party alone, Cait, so you came too."

Barry sighed. "It'll be fine, guys. You know Len's not going to let anyone get hurt." There was a mumble from someone _of course you say that, you're dating him_. He reached up to knock on the door, but it opened before he could. Lisa Snart stood there in all her glory, glittering gold knee-length dress and matching accessories. "How did y-"

"The camera system." Hartley said, note of pride in his voice betraying the fact that he'd been the one to put it in place.

"That's right. Hello~. Come join the party before all the booze is gone."

They didn't have to go far in to hear all the noise. There was shouting, laughing, and music in the background. As they entered the room, met with varied unsettling grins and bored expressions, Cisco finally felt a little nervous. Barry just wandered off happily, and Caitlin glanced at him.

"Still sure this was a good idea?"

He didn't get to reply, because Lisa grabbed her hand and started to pull her further into the room. "Come on, it's a party. Stop being so _uptight._ "

"Why are you holding my hand- hey-"

Her voice drifted from his ears. Hartley smiled at him. His worries melted away.

This might end in disaster... But this is what made Hartley happy, god knows he deserved that after a lifetime without it. And if he was happy, Cisco was too. Besides, it couldn't go that badly, right?

***

He may have spoken too soon.

***

Hartley looked up at the doorframe. This was the third one he'd looked at. They all had mistletoe hanging there. He gaze lingered suspiciously on Cisco, thinking of last year's events. Not that it'd ended badly, mind, but he didn't want to end up kissing anyone else. Did he put it there? And if he did, how? Hartley dismissed the thought and went back to the problem at hand. He calculated, then shot through the door quickly as he could. Success. 

Now, the only problem would be getting back out...

***

Len turned his sister. "You put mistletoe everywhere, didn't you?"

"Barry and Iris helped."

"You're ridiculous." 

_"The mistletoe._ It's the holidays, Lenny. It's time for the shipping." Lisa smiled sinisterly as she surveyed the room. It was for the best. Someone had to do the matchmaking here. "They have no idea."

They watched Cisco attack Hartley as soon as he walked under one of the doors, his attempts to avoid this failing. Len had to admit... this _was_ amusing.

***

"MARDON!" Len shouted as soon as he returned. "Rule number three!"

"Screw the rules, it's a party!" The snow continued to rain down all over the room. Shawna was smiling, trying to hide it. Mick had somehow found the single spot where snow wasn't landing, and Barry had inched over as well. trying not to get cold. Lisa and Iris were standing by the door, watching it all. Cisco and Hartley hadn't moved from their spot on the couch, because there would be _no surrender of the best spot_ and the latter was used to this, anyway. Caitlin would've looked _done_ if she wasn't giggling in the corner- Caitlin Snow giggling, he never thought he'd see that. The culprit must be the eggnog she was holding...

"I mean... he could be trying to kill people, I'd say this is a step up." Iris said to him.

Len threw his hands up in irritation. "Look at this. This is my safehouse. These are my crew. I can't keep them under control for _one night._ What did I do to deserve these disobedient _children?_ "

"Hey, you're the one that adopted them."

"Shut up, Mick." 

"Yeah, you're as much a parent as him, Micky. This is on both of you." Lisa told him.

The snow hadn't stopped. In fact, the floor now had inches of it. Len was about to tell him to stop again, threaten with cold gun if needed, but a snowball flew across the room and hit Cisco in the face. Shawna smirked at him. (Perhaps this was petty revenge for the pipeline.) He gaped for a moment, then got a gleam of determination in his eyes, and, no-

"Oh, you're in for it now."

This was happening. He took a moment to mourn his carpet and furniture. They'd _just_ gotten the couch last week...

"Snowball fight! Pick your sides!" Barry. Len should never have let his boyfriend get friendly with the Rogues. He had no idea they'd get along so well out of costume.

Soon, groups had formed, snowy walls had been built to hide behind. Iris, Barry, Cisco, and Lisa had wisely teamed up with Caitlin, who was utilizing her powers to form perfect snowballs- he'd been under the impression that she was hesitant to use them, but her inhibitions had been lowered, apparently. Hartley was with Shawna and the idiot who'd started this, Mark. Mick had come up beside him, leaning against the wall. 

Hartley proved himself to be incredibly good at making and throwing snowballs, hitting his boyfriend with one. Cisco looked offended. "How could you betray me like this, Hart?" And then he threw one right back. Shawna teleported out of it's path and threw two in quick succession, each hitting their marks. Caitlin and Mark seemed to be in a particularly intense battle with eachother, both using respective powers to hit the other.

_"You'll never win this fight!"_

"Same to you!"

Len looked over at Mick. He looked back. They didn't speak. Then they both reached down and made snowballs, hitting both the two groups at the same time. Some of them stopped to stare in shock. "Group #3 has joined the fray." Cisco said. Then he tried to throw one at Len.

"Hey Lis, wanna even out the numbers a bit?" He called to her. Team #1 really had an unfair advantage, five people.

"Nope, I'm staying with the winning side." She gestured to Caitlin, who beamed.

"Fuck you."

"Love you too, brother."

Barry waved, snowball in his other hand. "I'll come over if you'll have me!"

"Get your speedy ass over here." Mick said.

His team looked on in dismay as he left them. This, unfortunately, gave team #2 and opportunity to get them. Each got pelted with snowballs. Barry took the time to quickly build up a wall for the team to hide behind- the other two teams had had someone with powers to instantly do so, but Barry could do it just as well with his speed.

"We need a strategy to win this fight." Len said quietly to them, as they ducked behind their wall.

"It's a snowball fight, Len. There's no strategy."

"Actually there is!" Hartley shouted at them.

"Stop using your hearing to listen in on our conversation, Rathaway!" Len shouted right back.

Soon enough they joined the fight again, and did pretty well for a bit, but were soon overtaken. Three-people teams were no match for a four-person team that had someone with snow powers on it. Mark had resorted to making snowballs the regular way, powers tired out, and things had begun to wind down. Team #3 conceded and raised their white flag (where Barry got that, no one knew), and #2 refused to back down, full of competitive people. Team #1 made their last stand, hitting them with all they had. Shawna flopped on the floor, covered in snow, her _'noooo'_ barely heard in the chaos. Mark completely stopped then, unsure if she was just being dramatic or if she'd really been knocked over. They had been beaten.

"TEAM ONE REIGNS SUPREME!"

"Fuck off, Cisco!" 

"Hey! Not my fault you're not as good at snowball fights." Cisco stuck his tongue out at Hartley. _Children._

"Excuse me? I-" Len, and probably the rest of the room, tuned out the couple's bickering. Even in a relationship they couldn't go ten minutes without it.

Lisa appeared beside him. "Lenny~ Maybe now you could ice the floor so we can-"

_"No!"_

***

"We're snowed in."

Everyone stopped. "What? Really?" Cisco looked outside, feeling other come up behind him to do the same, and sure enough, the snow was up to the edge of the window, and still falling hard. 

"It wasn't supposed to snow that much tonight..." Hartley said.

"I could melt a path-"

"Mick, no!" A chorus from the Rogues. Cisco wondered what the story was there. 

Len cut in. "It wouldn't help, anyway. There's still too much snow and ice, and it's dangerous. I seem to remember a promise about no one getting hurt tonight." He gave Barry a pointed look, then turned back. "You're all going to have to stay the night."

Cisco said what they were all thinking. "Oh no..."

***

There was no question about where certain people would stay. Hartley and Cisco were the first to leave, letting everyone else figure out who went where. It wasn't their problem. The buzz from the eggnog (and what had they put into that, anyway, god was it strong) had mostly worn off, considering he hadn't had that much, and Hartley appeared to be completely sober. Unsurprising, he rarely drank, especially at parties. He'd once told Cisco it was about control and how alcohol made you lose it. While he'd gotten him to lighten up a little, Hartley was still very much a control freak.

The room was pretty neat, save for the table in the corner and the floor around it, which was covered in tools, concept sketches, and various parts. Everything was in blacks and muted colors, nothing too extravagant but everything looking completely put together. Cisco wonder if Hartley picked up decorating skills as a child... it wouldn't surprise him, but he wouldn't ruin the other's good mood by bringing it up.

Hartley gave him some spare nightclothes to wear and soon enough they were laying down, facing each other. Cisco was tired enough, but Hartley usually took a while to fall asleep, even if he was tired. He refused to take sleeping pills, when Cisco suggested that. So he accepted it as something that didn't need to be fixed. What he could do was stay awake and keep him company for a while.

"I told you it wouldn't be a disaster." Hartley said quietly.

"Pff. Snart would disagree." 

Hartley hummed in agreement, then shifted closer. "It's cold. Get over here."

"So demanding. Can't you just ask to be held like a normal person?"

"No." Of course not. This was _Hartley._ He didn't bother arguing, they'd done enough bickering for one night. And also, yes, it was cold. Cisco had an idea of who to blame for that. He cuddled up to Hartley before the man could start going on about conserving body heat or something equally as silly.

"You had a good time, then?" Hartley had been anxious about getting them all together.

"You know I did, Hart." Though... "I still don't know why you insist on helping them, I mean, what do I do if you go to jail? You know everyone would accept you if you switched sides..."

"They gave me somewhere to stay last Christmas, and they haven't betrayed me. They actually _care_ , Cisco, and if that doesn't make them family then I don't know what does."

"I don't know, maybe being your boyfriend?" He said, fake-hurt on his face. Hartley laughed softly, and Cisco prided himself on being the only one who could get him to make that sound. "But seriously now, I'm glad you have friends who treat you how you should be."

"But I don't love any of them as much as I love you."

"In shocking plot twist, he admits he cares!" As if Cisco didn't already know very well that he did.

"You're an idiot."

***

Mick was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast of all things. Cisco seemed to be the only one surprised, so it must happen often. Cisco had spent little time around the entire group of Rogues, and certainly hadn't stayed the night in one of the safehouses- Hartley came to his apartment instead- so he didn't know. The rest of team Flash had yet to wander out, so Cisco and Hartley had stolen the couch again, quietly chatting with the others in the room- okay, Hartley wasn't, he was still half-asleep, but.

Barry wandered out of the room, a nervous smile on his face, closely followed by Iris. Cisco opened his mouth in shock, then closed it again. 

"Hate to be the one to bring this up-" Shawna started, looking jittery at the idea of what Len would do when he found out, when the man himself came out after them, looking entirely pleased with himself.

"Sorry we're late." He didn't sound sorry. 

"What."

"One thing led to another..." Iris said.

Hartley, finally properly waking up after his first cup of coffee, pouted- he would deny that's what it was, but it didn't make it less true- at Cisco. "Why didn't _we_ get a threesome?"

"Oh my god, Hart."

Mark leaned over the back of the couch, smirking. "I'd be happy to fix that-" Hartley punched him. 

"Not with _you._ "

Mark sulked and went to sit with Shawna. "At least boo will never reject me. Why, Hartley. Why."

Shawna rolled her eyes, but she had a smile on her face. "You're ridiculous." 

"Is this what it's always like here?" 

"Honestly, yeah." Barry replied.

Caitlin wandered in rubbing at her eyes. She looked like she'd barely slept, and Cisco was suddenly glad no one had opened the curtains all the way. Wouldn't have helped her hangover. She seemed to have borrowed clothes from one of the girls, because she wasn't wearing her dress from the party. Theory confirmed when Lisa came, too. The woman looked more put together than all of them, and he wondered how she was so awake.

"Morning, Cait."

She didn't even look up. " 'morning." Then went into the kitchen, presumably to get caffeine.

"Don't tell me Caitlin hooked up with someone, too." Cisco looked at Lisa, accusing expression on his face.

"Oh, relax. She could hardly sleep with one of the boys, where did you think she'd be?"

"That's an intentionally vague answer."

She just winked at him. 

"She wouldn't have, Cisco. Caitlin was drunk, remember? Lisa wouldn't take advantage."

"Hartley, please, stop ruining my stories with logic."

Barry peeked outside. "I think we'll be able to leave soon, it's melting."

"So soon, Scarlet?"

"You do remember it was supposed to be a Christmas Party, not a sleepover?"

Len waved a dismissive hand. "Details."

 

No one ended up leaving until long after breakfast was over.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a lot more rushed than I'd have liked. I apologize if the pacing seemed off, this is more interconnected scenes of the party than it is completely linear. I wish I'd had more time to edit, because there were a couple of things I didn't get into it, but if I don't post now it won't be up in time for Christmas. I'll likely come edit and tweak more at some point.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, visit me at http://cliches-and-coffee.tumblr.com/


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